Amun-Re

2003

In Amun-Re, players become Egyptian Pharaohs, trading, farming, and building pyramids. Use your power cards wisely and appease the god Amun-Re to rise to power.

90
minutes

3 - 5
player(s)

12+

Medium Heavy

About the game

Amun-Re is a captivating board game that takes you on a journey to ancient Egypt, where players compete to become the most powerful pharaoh. The game offers a rich blend of strategy, economics, and competition, set against the backdrop of the fascinating world of pyramids, sphinxes, and enigmatic hieroglyphics.

The game is set along the banks of the Nile, divided into fifteen provinces. Each player takes on the role of a pharaoh, trying to outdo others in building pyramids, cultivating farmland, and offering gold to the sun god, Amun-Re.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

‘Amun-Re’ is an exciting board game that challenges players to build and manage dynasties in ancient Egypt. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game:

Step 1: Prepare the Game Board

Lay the game board in the center of the table. The board consists of 15 provinces, each with different benefits and costs. Make sure all players can easily reach it.

Step 2: Set Up the Resource Tokens

Separate the resource tokens into their respective types: gold, farmer, stone, and pyramid. Place them beside the game board within easy reach of all players.

Step 3: Prepare the Power Cards

Shuffle the power cards and place them face down beside the board. These cards give players special abilities when played.

Step 4: Assign Initial Resources

Each player starts with the same amount of resources: 20 gold, 3 farmers, 2 stones, and 1 pyramid. Distribute these to all players.

Step 5: Determine Player Roles

Every player chooses a color and takes the corresponding player marker. The roles of players are primarily as rulers of their respective Egyptian dynasties. The goal is to accumulate the most wealth and build the greatest number of pyramids.

Step 6: Position the Players

Randomly determine a start player. This player takes the Amun-Re marker and will be the first to bid on provinces.

Step 7: Prepare the Provinces

Shuffle the province cards and draw as many as there are players. These are the provinces that are up for auction in the first round. Place them face up next to the board.

Step 8: Set Up the Offerings Track

Place the offerings marker on the zero space of the offerings track. This marker will move according to the total offerings made to Amun-Re during the game.

Step 9: Prepare the Building Stones

Place the building stones next to the board. Players will buy these to build pyramids.

Note: The game is played in two epochs, each consisting of three rounds. After the first epoch, there is an intermediate scoring round, and the game ends with a final scoring round after the second epoch. The player with the most points wins the game.

Game flow Round and round we go

The game of ‘Amun-Re’ is a strategic board game, where players take on the roles of ancient Egyptian dynasties with the objective of amassing the most wealth. The game is structured into two ‘Kingdoms’, each consisting of three rounds, for a total of six rounds.

First Kingdom:

The first kingdom is made up of three rounds each comprising four phases: the Auction Phase, the Action Phase, the Sacrifice Phase, and the Scoring Phase.

Auction Phase: During this phase, provinces are auctioned off to the highest bidder. Players bid on the provinces using their gold. The highest bidder wins the province.
Action Phase: Players use their provinces to generate income, buy power cards, or build pyramids. The actions are done in a specific order: firstly, farmers are placed on the board, then building actions are performed and lastly, cards are bought.
Sacrifice Phase: Players make offerings to Amun-Re. The total amount of the offerings determines the income for the next round. The player who contributed the most to the offering receives a bonus.
Scoring Phase: Players score points based on the number of pyramids they have built, the number of farmers in their provinces, and any bonuses from power cards.

At the end of the third round, the First Kingdom ends. All farmers, power cards, and money are removed from the board, but the pyramids remain.

Second Kingdom:

The second kingdom follows the same structure as the first, with three more rounds of the same four phases. However, there are some key differences.

In the Auction Phase of the Second Kingdom, players are bidding on provinces that already have pyramids built from the First Kingdom. These pyramids contribute to scoring in the Second Kingdom. Power cards bought in the first Kingdom are not available in the second Kingdom. They are replaced with a new set of power cards.

At the end of the sixth round, the game ends. The player with the most points, calculated from gold, pyramids, and bonuses, is declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

‘Amun-Re’ is a strategic board game where players take on the roles of ancient Egyptian pharaohs. The game is divided into two halves, each consisting of three rounds. During each player’s turn, they can do a number of actions, including bidding on provinces, buying power cards, sacrificing to Amun-Re, and building pyramids. Here’s a detailed breakdown of these actions:

1. Bidding on Provinces:

A player’s turn starts with bidding on provinces. Each province has its own unique benefits, such as additional farmers, free power cards, and special abilities. The highest bidder gets to control the province. This decision can significantly affect a player’s strategy for that round.

2. Buying Power Cards:

After winning a bid, players can buy power cards. These cards provide advantages like extra actions, bonus points, and additional resources. Players must carefully decide which cards to buy, as they can greatly influence the game’s outcome.

3. Sacrificing to Amun-Re:

All players then have the opportunity to make a sacrifice to the god Amun-Re. The total amount of gold sacrificed determines the income from farmers for all players in the next round. Players must strategically decide how much to sacrifice, balancing their immediate need for gold against the potential future benefits.

4. Building Pyramids:

Lastly, players can build pyramids in their provinces. Pyramids provide victory points at the end of the game and can also yield immediate benefits. However, building pyramids costs gold, so players must weigh the benefits against the cost.

Throughout their turn, players must carefully consider their strategic choices. Decisions about which provinces to bid on, which power cards to buy, how much to sacrifice to Amun-Re, and whether to build pyramids can all affect the game’s outcome. By making wise choices, players can gain the upper hand and ultimately become the most powerful pharaoh in ancient Egypt.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of ‘Amun-Re’ ends after the completion of two Kingdoms, each of which consists of three rounds. The first Kingdom ends with the Old Kingdom scoring and the second Kingdom ends with the New Kingdom scoring.

Victory Conditions:

The ultimate victory in ‘Amun-Re’ is determined by the player with the most wealth at the end of the game, which consists of cash on hand and points from their monuments.

Actions before Final Scoring:

Before the final scoring, players must perform a final round of actions. These include:

Bidding for Provinces: Each player bids for the provinces using their gold. The highest bidder wins the province.
Buying Power Cards: Players can purchase power cards that can be used to gain additional benefits.
Building Pyramids: Players can choose to build pyramids in their provinces using their farmers. Each pyramid costs three farmers.
Sacrificing to Amun-Re: Players can choose to make a sacrifice to Amun-Re. The total amount of gold sacrificed determines the harvest for that round.

Old Kingdom Scoring:

At the end of the first kingdom, the Old Kingdom scoring takes place. Points are awarded as follows:

Each player scores 1 point for each pyramid in their provinces.
Additional points are scored for having the most, second most, and third most pyramids across all provinces. The player with the most scores 5 points, the second most scores 2 points, and the third most scores 1 point.
Each player scores the value of the temples in their provinces.

New Kingdom Scoring:

At the end of the second kingdom, the New Kingdom scoring takes place. It is similar to the Old Kingdom scoring with one additional rule:

Each player scores 1 point for each farmer in their provinces.

After the New Kingdom scoring, the player with the most total points (wealth) is declared the winner. In case of a tie, the player with the most gold wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Amun-Re’, the scoring system consists of several elements, each of which contributes to a player’s final score. The game is played in two halves (the Old Kingdom and the New Kingdom), with scoring occurring at the end of each half.

1. Temples:

At the end of each half, players score 1 point for each temple they have on the board.

2. Pyramids:

Players score points for pyramids they have built. The points are awarded as follows:

1 pyramid = 1 point
2 pyramids = 3 points
3 pyramids = 6 points

3. Money:

At the end of the game, players convert their remaining money into points at the rate of 1 point per 3 gold.

4. Sacrifices to Amun-Re:

The player who has made the highest total value of sacrifices to Amun-Re over the course of the game scores an additional 5 points. In case of a tie, all tied players receive these points.

5. Bonus Cards:

Finally, players score points for bonus cards that they have collected during the game. The points are awarded according to the criteria specified on each individual card.

In terms of tie-breaking, if two or more players have the same score at the end of the game, the player with the most gold wins. If there is still a tie, the player who made the highest total value of sacrifices to Amun-Re wins. If there is still a tie, the victory is shared.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Amun-Re is a strategy board game that involves bidding, building, and making sacrifices to the god Amun-Re. It is a game for 3 to 5 players and while the basic rules are straightforward, there are some special rules and exceptions that need to be clarified.

Province Acquisition

In each round, players bid on provinces. The highest bidder wins the province. However, if there is a tie, the player who bid first wins the province. This is a special rule that deviates from traditional auction rules.

Building Pyramids

While players can build as many pyramids as they can afford, they may not build more pyramids than there are spaces in the province. This is a special rule to keep in mind as it limits the number of pyramids a player can build.

Sacrifices to Amun-Re

At the end of each round, players make sacrifices to Amun-Re. The total amount sacrificed determines the income for the next round. However, there is an exception to this rule. In the first round, the total amount sacrificed does not affect the income.

Farmers and Slaves

Farmers and slaves are used to generate income. However, there is a special rule that applies to these two. Farmers can only be used once per round while slaves can be used multiple times. This is a key difference to remember as it can significantly impact your income generation strategy.

Rule Clarifications:

While the game is played in two halves (Old and New Kingdom), the points scored in the Old Kingdom do not carry over to the New Kingdom. This is a common misconception among new players.
During the province acquisition phase, players cannot bid on a province they already own. This is true even if they have the highest bid.
In the event of a tie at the end of the game, the player with the most remaining gold wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most pyramids wins.

These special rules and exceptions give Amun-Re its unique strategic depth and challenge, making it a favorite among board game enthusiasts.